It Turns Out Chihuahuas Are the Best Trail Dogs

Update, July 16: More than a few observant readers pointed out that the dog in the photo looks more like a Papillon than a Chihuahua. We reached out to the American Kennel Club, and a representative said that AKC experts believe the dog is a Papillon. “The butterfly ears are a hallmark of the breed.”

There are popular blends of the two breeds—the Chion or Pap-Chi. Alas, we cannot confirm whether or not the heroic doc in Switzerland is of either mix.

Original Story, July 4: A few years ago, my colleague Adam Roy penned this essay for Backpacker titled “Why Chihuahuas Are the Best Trail Dogs.” The piece was one-half unintuitive hot take and one-half heartfelt love letter to Hobbes, his nine-year-old pet chihuahua.

Many of us on the Outside staff shared a chuckle at the thought of a toy dog following our coworker along a tree-lined mountain trail. But Adam did make a few compelling arguments.

Chihuahuas are tiny: Hobbes weighs just five pounds, so carrying one on an adventure would be easy.

Attentiveness: Walking alongside a diminutive dog reminds a hiker to be mindful on the trail. One errant step could smash a paw or destroy the flora.

Avoids risks: Adam made one final compelling argument about Hobbes: his timid nature forced Adam to avoid potential pitfalls, like sketchy trails or too-deep streams.

“I’ve got a partner who always keeps an eye on me, who understands, like the best partners do,” Adam wrote. “Sometimes the best things in the woods are the friends you brought with you.”

Turns out, Adam was right. This past week, a search and rescue operation in Switzerland confirmed the chihuahua’s rightful place atop the ranking of trail dogs by adding another quality to the breed:

Loyalty: A chihuahua will not abandon you, even if you are hopelessly stuck at the bottom of a crevasse.

Hero Chihuahua Saves Owner Stuck in Crevasse

An unidentified man was hiking the Fee Glacier on Friday, June 11, with his pet chihuahua, when the ice gave way beneath his feet. According to a report from the Air Zermatt flight school, which performs search and rescue missions, the man plunged 26 feet down into a crevasse, and was stuck there.

Back on the surface, the man’s long-haired chihuahua stayed on the ice next to the spot where its owner had vanished.

The dog’s loyalty likely saved the man’s life. The man used a walkie-talkie to call for a rescue, but when officials arrived on the scene, they had trouble locating the small entrance to the crevasse. That is until they saw the man’s four-legged friend running around the hole in the ice.

The rescue report reads:

Then a decisive moment: one of the rescue specialists spotted a small movement on a rock: the Chihuahua! Right next to it was the collapse hole through which the man had fallen into the crevasse. Thanks to the dog’s behavior, the crew was able to locate the exact site of the accident. The rescuers abseiled down to the casualty and were able to save him. Patient and dog were flown to hospital in Visp.

The little dog did not move during the entire operation and closely followed every movement of the rescue specialists. It is fair to say that his behavior contributed significantly to the successful rescue. The dog is a four-legged hero who may have saved his master’s life in a life-threatening situation. 

Of the many dogs I have owned, few would show this level of loyalty if placed in the same position—me, at the bottom of a crevasse, screaming for help. My current pet, a nine-pound Schnauzer/Yorkie mix named Beau, is more likely to chase the rescuers off than lead them to my unfortunate position.

Full disclosure: I’m not sure I’ll be purchasing a backcountry chihuahua anytime soon. But Adam’s compelling take, when combined with this rescue story, and, one important additional characteristic of the breed—teeny tiny poopies—could make the chihuahua the trail dog of your dreams.